Without You
by kath0410
Summary: Erza Scarlet has been diagnosed with leukemia; just how will she and Natsu deal with this? Inspired by AJ Rafael's music video of "Without You." Not a song-fic, it's just plain inspired by the song and the music video. NatsuxErza; NaZa


**A/N: Soooo. This one's my second NaZa fanfic, and it's another one-shot. I just love this pairing so much. Don't get me wrong, I also love NaLu, too, but I love the idea of Natsu and Erza as a couple more. So, yeah. I got the inspiration to write this as I watched AJ Rafael's music video of his song, "Without You." I hope you guys enjoy this fanfic, and I'd appreciate any reviews, as long as you don't bash me. And one note: I really cried as I was writing this chapter. Anyway, I'll stop now and let you guys begin reading!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does.**

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**Stage 1: DENIAL**

"Erza Scarlet… I'm very sorry to say this, but…" The doctor paused, "…You have leukemia."

If Erza couldn't believe it, so could Natsu. He just couldn't accept the fact that his girlfriend was diagnosed with leukemia.

"No! You're wrong! It's not bad, right?! She's going to get better, RIGHT?!" Natsu roared, and held the doctor up by his collar.

"She's already at stage three… At this rate, only a miracle can save her. We've done everything we can, but for now, we can only pray. I am truly sorry," the doctor said sadly.

"NO!" Natsu screamed, and was stopped when Erza gently embraced him from behind.

"Please, Natsu. Let the doctor go. None of this is his fault," she pleaded as she tried to stop herself from breaking down.

"I-I'm sorry," Natsu whispered brokenly and set the doctor down.

"We really are sorry," the doctor apologized once again and left the couple to think.

"Erza… You're going to get better, okay? This is just a nightmare. They're lying, there's just no way you can have such a disease. I'm not going to let you die. I will absolutely not allow it," Natsu said in a pained voice as he held his girlfriend tightly.

"I…I know, Natsu. I'll be fighting; I would never give up. I'll survive this, for both you and me," Erza whispered, and completely broke down.

Natsu felt Erza's figure shaking and sobbing heavily against his chest, and it took all of his willpower not to break down as well. He had to be strong; he couldn't show his weakness, lest Erza break down even more.

Natsu could just not accept the fact that the woman he loves so much was diagnosed with such a ridiculous disease. They denied the fact that she might die soon.

**Stage 2: ANGER**

"Dammit, Erza! Why YOU?! I just can't understand why it had to be you, of all people!" Natsu yelled.

"I don't know either! I hate this as much as you do, Natsu! I can't understand why! I made mistakes, sure, but I made up for all of them! I just don't know why!" Erza yelled back angrily.

"DAMN IT ALL!" Natsu screamed, unable to control his anger. "Why, Erza, why?!"

"I just told you that I don't know! Leave me alone, Natsu!" Erza screamed back, and slammed her bedroom door behind her.

"Why not anyone else?! Why does it have to be the woman I've loved all my life?! SOMEBODY TELL ME _WHY_!" Natsu screamed angrily and painfully at the empty space.

He and Erza had never been angrier all their life up until now. They kept denying it at first, but eventually, all the pent up frustrations and grief just continued building up inside of them. And these pent up feelings lead to anger - not just at themselves, but also at others. They brought out all their anger at each other, which somehow always led to yelling matches, with Erza eventually walking out at the end.

Why did it have to be Erza Scarlet, of all the people out there in the world?

**Stage 3: BARGAINING**

"I'd give anything, _anything_, just to survive this; just to make it out of this alive and be healed. _Please_," Erza begged in her prayers. She didn't want to die; she wanted to live. She wanted to spend more time with her friends; spend more time with Natsu. She wanted to live until the day where she and Natsu would get married, and have their own children in the future.

She wanted to exchange more smiles, share more kisses, and feel more of Natsu's warm and loving embraces. She just wanted to live. Was that too much to ask?

Then she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her in a loving embrace.

"Natsu…" She whispered in recognition.

Natsu sighed tiredly and buried his face on her shoulder.

"I'd do anything to relieve you of your pain, Erza. I'd even take it all up for you, because I hate seeing you suffer so much. I just love you too much to see you like this," Natsu murmured painfully as his body convulsed.

"I know, Natsu. I wish there was some way I could live through this. I'd give anything; do anything, just to live longer. I want to be by your side forever. I love you, Natsu," Erza stated as she began to tremble in his arms.

"I love you, too, Erza," Natsu whispered and gently pressed his lips against hers.

Erza began sobbing, and Natsu gently stroked her hair as she cried everything out onto his chest.

"I'm scared, Natsu," she whispered in fright, her voice shaking.

"I'm scared, too. I don't want to lose you, Erza. Losing you is my biggest fear, and I can't let that happen. But we just have to believe. I'm willing to give anything just to have you cured. I'll never leave you, Erza," Natsu stated as he held her tightly.

They were willing to give up everything they had, just for Erza to be cured. This was proof that they loved each other very much.

**Stage 4: DEPRESSION**

Erza was steadily growing worse as time passed. It was not only her health, but also her emotional state. For nearly the whole day, each day, she would do nothing but lock up in her room and begin sobbing for hours on end. They had gone to the doctor again for another check-up, but it was already far too late. Her leukemia had gone to stage 4; and was now beyond the hands of the doctors. Simply put, all they could do was pray. Like the time she was diagnosed with leukemia, prayer was the only thing they could do.

But it seemed as though their prayers had gone unanswered, and it made Erza sink into depression. Natsu felt bad, yes, but he could never say that he feels worse than what his girlfriend was feeling. She was the one who was carrying the burden of the disease, so she was the one who felt worse out of all of her friends.

She was locked up in her room once again. She sank to the corner, and hugged her knees close to her. The tears began flowing again, and she smiled bitterly.

"There's no point in fighting anymore. Anyone can see that. I'm going to die, and there's no changing that fact. I don't see the point in living anymore…" She muttered to herself bitterly and rested her head on her knees.

"I'm going to die…" She muttered negatively, and sobbed harder.

Then she heard voices outside the door.

"Natsu, how is Erza doing?" A voice which belonged to Gray, asked.

"She's… she's not okay. She doesn't want to see anyone," Natsu whispered.

"Natsu…" A female voice, which Erza guessed to be Lucy's, said in concern.

"We're always here for you and Erza-san, okay?" A small female voice, which was Wendy's, said reassuringly.

"Yeah… thanks, guys." Natsu said simply.

Erza heard the sound of footsteps recede into the distance, and she concluded that everyone, except for Natsu, had already left. She didn't want to see anyone else apart from Natsu.

She heard the door open, and didn't bother to look up. A pair of footsteps approached her, and she felt herself wrapped up in his arms once again. Natsu knew that she didn't want to hear any words of comfort, so he just stayed silent. Erza appreciated this, and allowed herself to relax in his arms.

They stayed like that in silence, just feeling each other's warmth and love for each other.

**Stage 5: ACCEPTANCE**

Erza knew very well that she was going to die. Natsu knew this, too. The doctor said that she only had one week at most to live, and they felt numb. They felt numb because they had already gotten used to the pain. But they still haven't cried out all their tears.

Two weeks before the couple heard that news, Natsu proposed to her, to which she accepted. They got married immediately, and they both made the best out of the remaining time left she had in this world.

Tears rolled down Natsu's cheek when he heard the news. He only had one week left at maximum to spend time with the woman that he loves. And after that, she would be gone. He would never see her smile, get to kiss her, get to wrap his arms around her, and hear her say 'I love you,' anymore once she closes her eyes forever.

One week. One week left to spend with his wife. He was determined to make it the happiest week of her life, before she left him and her friends. The week passed by slowly, and Erza was now on her expected last day to stay with her loving husband.

"Erza," he smiled lovingly at his wife who lay down on her bed. She was now skin and bones, excessively weakened by the disease. But she still looked beautiful to him. She always did, because he loved her.

"Natsu…" She smiled weakly.

"You feeling okay?" He asked, but he already knew the answer. She wasn't okay, of course, but he just had to ask.

"I'm fine, because you're with me," she answered happily.

"That's good to know," he grinned toothily.

She chuckled weakly and stared deeply into his eyes.

"I'm really happy to have you as my husband Natsu, even if it was for quite a short time. It was my dream to be married to you, and I'm glad that it was fulfilled. These past few weeks as a married couple were the happiest weeks in my entire life. I've never felt luckier to have you love me and have the honor to have you as my husband," she smiled proudly and lovingly.

"I've always felt overjoyed to have become Erza Dragneel, and I will always be proud of that. Thank you for staying by my side until the very end. I'll always watch over you from the heavens, and I'll make sure you never feel alone. I love you, Natsu Dragneel. I love you so much that words can never be enough to express how I feel for you. Live on… for me," she whispered her speech, and gently stroked Natsu's face.

Natsu began crying, and shakily held her hand in place. "Thank you, Erza… I love you, too. And you know I always will." Then he bent down and kissed her for one last time.

After the kiss, Erza's hand fell limp at her side, and she closed her eyes. There was a smile on her face as she closed those beautiful, tired eyes, and Natsu kissed her forehead.

"Rest well, my beloved Erza Dragneel," he said in a shaky voice and smiled.

A year has passed since Erza Dragneel died, and her husband, Natsu Dragneel, knelt down before her grave, along with their friends.

_In memory of Erza Dragneel: a kind, warm, and passionate woman; a loyal friend, and a faithful and loving wife, who will remain dear to all her loved ones. _

Natsu smiled and lay down the flowers on the grave.

"It's already been a year…" Gray stated sadly.

"Yeah… It was so quick and slow at the same time. I still miss her," Lucy added, fighting the tears from flowing.

"I think that we all do, and that we always will. But Erza-san will remain in our hearts and memories forever, especially in Natsu-san's," Wendy said as she smiled sadly.

"She may be gone physically, but I know deep down in my heart that she's out there, watching over all of us. As long as we never forget about her, she'll always be with us," Natsu declared, "so, we gotta put on a smiling face for her. I know that she wouldn't want to see us sad."

"You're right," the three friends said at the same time and smiled.

Natsu looked up at the bright blue sky, and saw his wife's beautiful face smiling down at him. Then she heard her voice inside his head, "I'm proud of you, Natsu. I will continue to watch over all of you. And just know that I will always love you. So all of you; live on… for me."

He smiled and said, "Yeah. I'll live for your sake, Erza. All of us will. And we love you very much from the bottom of our hearts. So, wherever you are, I hope that you're happy."

The image of her from the clouds faded, and Natsu and the rest began walking away from her grave.

"Let's all remember to be strong and live on for her; because that's what she would have wanted for all of us." Natsu declared.

"HAI!" The three shouted in agreement, and they knew that they would never forget their beloved friend's smile.


End file.
